UH Manoa Receives Top Ranking in Consumers Digest Magazine

UH Manoa has ranked in the top-five Best Values for Public Colleges and Universities according to Consumers Digest Magazine. Published in its June issue, the rankings are based on several attributes that validate or define the institutions‘ academic prowess factored against the annual cost of tuition and room-and-board.

Consumers Digest ranked 50 public and 25 private colleges and universities out of some 3,500 schools across the United States. UH Manoa placed at No. 5 for top-five Best Values for Public Colleges and Universities and is preceded by Louisiana State University, University of Michigan-Dearborn, University of Georgia and Oklahoma State University, which received the No. 1 ranking.

The "Top 75 College Values" list was determined based on a formula that blended academic excellence of first-time freshman at a school (standardized test scores, high-school rank, grade-point average) with the institution‘s educational quality (student-to-faculty ratio, graduation rate, percentage of faculty holding a PhD or terminal degree). That "value-index" score was factored with the estimated cost of attending each school to determine which schools offered the most academic value per dollar.

For public schools, Consumers Digest only considered non-resident tuition figures, since attending a public school as a resident often offers the best value.

"Today, the price of attending a university or college often exceeds $20,000 per year," says Randy Weber, publisher, Consumers Digest. "Our analysis was done to help families make an informed decision that puts their hard-earned money to the best use."

Consumers Digest, launched in 1959, is designed to inform and educate readers so they can buy with confidence, no matter the product or service. The magazine is committed to providing practical advice, factual evaluations and specific recommendations that lead consumers to exceptional values today‘s complex marketplace.